Bengaluru : Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will take on Gujarat Titans (GT) in the 33rd match of the IPL 2026 season at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, on Friday, 24 April, at 7:30 PM. RCB will look to bounce back after losing their last match against DC, which also marked their first home defeat of the season, while GT also come after a disappointing defeat.
The RCB have continued their campaign this season in a very positive way, but in their last match against DC in a tight contest, they lost by 6 wickets. Due to a tricky surface, they were restricted to a total of 175, which DC successfully chased. RCB faced their second loss of the season. However, RCB have a strong batting and bowling lineup and currently hold the 3rd position on the table with 8 points.
On the other side, GT faced a very disappointing defeat in their last match, losing by 99 runs against Mumbai Indians (MI). It was their highest defeat margin in the IPL so far. They once again struggled with the same issue of middle-order collapse, a problem they have faced since the beginning of the season. If openers Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill, and at third drop Jos Buttler do not score consistently and strongly, then the middle order also collapses easily without showing much contribution, and the batting order often fails, which disturbs the team’s overall balance. Despite this, their bowling lineup remains strong. To bounce back in the league, they need to address this issue quickly and effectively. They currently hold 7th position on the table with 6 points, with 3 wins and 3 losses.
Both GT and RCB have played 6 matches in the IPL so far, and both teams have won 3 matches each.
RCB Squad:
Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Rajat Patidar, Devdutt Padikkal, Jordan Cox, Jitesh Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Jacob Bethell, Venkatesh Iyer, Swapnil Singh, Satvik Deswal, Mangesh Yedave, Vicky Ostwal, Vihaan Malhotra, Kanish Chohan, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Dar, Suyash Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Jacob Duffy, Nuwan Thushara, Abhinandan Singh.
Predicted Playing XI – RCB:
Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma.
GT Squad:
Shubman Gill, Jos Buttler, Kumar Kushagra, Anuj Rawat, Tom Banton, Glenn Phillips, Sai Sudharsan, Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Mohd. Arshad Khan, Sai Kishore, Jayant Yadav, Jason Holder, Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Singh Brar, Ishant Sharma, Ashok Sharma, Luke Wood, Kulwant Khejroliya, Rashid Khan.
Predicted Playing XI – GT:
Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Kumar Kushagra, Rahul Tewatia, Washington Sundar, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, R Sai Kishore.
The weather in Bengaluru is expected to be quite favorable for cricket. During the evening match hours, the temperature should hover around 26–28°C with partly cloudy skies, creating comfortable playing conditions. Humidity levels are likely to remain moderate at around 35–45%, and there is very little chance of rain, meaning interruptions are highly unlikely. Overall, it should be a pleasant evening with conditions well-suited for a full, uninterrupted match. The pitch at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru is expected to be batting-friendly, offering good pace and bounce, making it ideal for stroke play and high-scoring encounters. Fast bowlers may get slight assistance early on, but overall it strongly favors the batters. With the possibility of evening dew, chasing could be an advantage.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru will aim to stage a strong and determined comeback in this match, while Gujarat Titans will also look to recover confidently from their recent setback. It promises to be a highly competitive, intense, and exciting encounter.
